X-59 QueSST by NASA: status and timeline

X-59 QueSST

Show that a carefully shaped jet can fly faster than sound with a soft thump instead of a loud boom. That could lift the ban on supersonic flight over land.

PilotStage 3 of 5

First supersonic flight Mach 1.1 (June 2026); envelope testing ongoing.

Updated 5 Jun 2026Checked 11 Oct0 updates this week

Milestones

Next · Acoustic validation over U.S. communities

First flightOct 2025Complete.
Second flight and series start20 Mar 2026Complete.
First supersonic flight at Mach 1.15 Jun 2026Complete.
Mach 1.4 envelope testing12 Jun 2026Complete.
Acoustic validation over U.S. communitiesTarget Q4 2026Not yet reached.
Envelope expansion testing completeTarget Q4 2026Not yet reached.

Most important updates

Upcoming

Q4 2026Acoustic validation over U.S. communities (next)
Q4 2026Envelope expansion testing complete

Current obstacles

Regulatory acceptance of quiet boomsThe FAA and international bodies must review acoustic data and establish noise standards before commercial supersonic flight is permitted over land.
Scaling from demonstrator to productionX-59 proves the concept; a commercial aircraft would need to be faster, larger, more efficient, and certifiable under existing aviation rules.

Physics limits

Sonic boom cannot be eliminatedSupersonic aircraft must create pressure waves; the X-59 reduces the boom to a thump, but does not eliminate it.
Speed-altitude trade-offQuieter booms require slower flight or higher altitude. Commercial airlines want speed; regulators want quiet. The trade-off determines where supersonic routes can operate.
Design complexity increases costThe nose comprises a third of the aircraft's length just to shape shock waves. Production aircraft must balance this aeroacoustic requirement with weight, fuel capacity, and price.

How it works

3 parts

Shaping

Shock wave breakup

The long, tapered nose and precisely shaped fuselage prevent shock waves from merging, breaking the single loud boom into multiple quieter thumps.

Vision

eXternal Vision System

The cockpit sits halfway down the fuselage with no forward window. High-resolution cameras feed a 4K monitor, allowing the pilot to see ahead.

Testing

Envelope then acoustics

Flight tests first expand the safe flight envelope (speed, altitude, conditions), then move to acoustic validation—measuring actual sound over communities.

Spec sheet

Spec	X-59 QueSST
Length	99.7 ft (30.4 m)^R (reported)
Wingspan	29.5 ft (9 m)^R (reported)
Cruise altitude	50,000 ft^R (reported)
Maximum speed	Mach 1.4 (925 mph)^R (reported)
Sonic boom loudness	~75 dB (car door closing from 20 feet)^R (reported)

^R reported by the company

Update log

2 updates

Fri 5 Jun

Major: X-59 reaches supersonic speed at Mach 1.1, a milestone toward quiet boom demonstrationsPressTest

Fri 20 Mar

Major: NASA X-59 completes second flight, beginning dozens of test flights in 2026PressTest

About NASA

The team behind X-59 QueSST

NASA

Space exploration, aeronautics, government research

U.S. federal agency for civilian space exploration and aerospace research. NASA builds spacecraft (Orion for crewed Moon missions), rockets (SLS), and aircraft (X-59 quiet supersonic demonstrator) for scientific discovery.

SLS and Orion are NASA's crewed lunar vehicles; Artemis II flew four astronauts around the Moon in April 2026.
X-59 QueSST flew supersonic in 2026, proving shaped airframes produce quiet thumps instead of sonic booms.
NASA cancelled the Lunar Gateway orbital station to focus on a permanent lunar surface base.

nasa.gov (opens nasa.gov)Company profile →

Founded: 195868 yrs
Headquarters: United States
Status: Government
Valuation: government
Works in: AviationSupersonic & hypersonicSpaceflight
Coverage: 3 programs · 4 updateslatest 5 Jun 2026checked 11 Oct
Partners: Lockheed Martin (opens lockheedmartin.com)
Suppliers: Northrop Grumman (opens northropgrumman.com)Boeing
People: Bill Nelson (opens en.wikipedia.org)NASA Administrator

Spec

X-59 QueSST

Length

99.7 ft (30.4 m)^R (reported)

Wingspan

29.5 ft (9 m)^R (reported)

Cruise altitude

50,000 ft^R (reported)

Maximum speed

Mach 1.4 (925 mph)^R (reported)

Sonic boom loudness

~75 dB (car door closing from 20 feet)^R (reported)